One-Way Active Measurement Protocol (OWAMP) is a protocol used for measuring one-way performance metrics in a network. For example, OWAMP may be used to measure one-way delay and delay variation in Internet Protocol (IP) networks. OWAMP is defined in RFC 4656.
Two-Way Active Measurement Protocol (TWAMP) is a protocol used for measuring one-way and two-way or roundtrip performance metrics in a network. For example, TWAMP may be used to measure one-way and two-way or roundtrip delay and delay variation in IP networks. TWAMP is defined in RFC 5357.
OWAMP and TWAMP rely on timestamps inserted into test packets for measuring network performance. Current OWAMP and TWAMP specifications require the use of the Network Time Protocol (NTP) timestamp format. Precision Time Protocol (PTP), which is defined in IEEE 1588-2008, has gained wide support since the original development of OWAMP and TWAMP. Many hosts now support PTP in the fast forwarding engine. For these hosts to support OWAMP and TWAMP, they must convert timestamps from PTP format to NTP format. This requires the use of extra resources, micro-code, or additional processing elements, which adds extra cost and complexity. The added cost and complexity may adversely affect the consistency and accuracy of delay measurements.